Being alive was weird, especially after being dead. I didn't completely remember dying or being brought back, although who would want to remember being stabbed to death? But I did feel happy, like 'no care in the world' happy. Almost as soon as I came back, I was back in the infirmary. And it hurt. Each time that I healed someone, it felt like their malady had been transferred to me. My calf felt as if someone had made noodles out of its muscle. I had migraines that made me want to throw up and Nico wasn't here with me; he said that he wouldn't be any help at all, being in a healing place. He was back at our apartment, checking through the last little bit of paperwork. We'd be catching a lift with Argus into Midtown to the adoption agency there. Gods, it was exciting, the thought that soon we'd have a little baby to look after. Although Nico said that it would make us stand out even more: a young gay couple, with one of the partners being undead, and with a little kid.

I was losing focus, as I had been doing more and more so in the past week.

"Ok. Now, Jacinta, that nectar should help take some pain away, but you really shouldn't take your sling off just because you want to win capture the flag. You wouldn't want it to get worse, and end up with a crooked arm forever."

She drank her nectar as I retied the sling for her broken arm. My watch beeped at me, telling me that it was time to go to the Big House. I nodded a quick goodbye at Brandy, who gave me a quick half-smile, busy wrapping some bandages. I still hadn't got used to it; that people starting to avoid me bit.

I strolled out of the infirmary, stethoscope hanging around my neck. I got to the veranda of the Big House and opened the door to go inside. Walking through the house, I headed for the study, where Chiron would most likely be. I knocked on the doorframe, and entered, surprised to see Nico sitting across from him. Shouldn't he be teaching sword-fighting or something?

"Ah, Will. There you are, my boy. Come and take a seat. I have some rather pressing matters that I would like to talk to you about." That didn't sound good, and neither did Chiron. Ever since we had to amputate his leg after Lycaon's attack, he was stuck in the wheelchair permanently. Unable to take his centaur form, he was still adjusting, even now.

"Yeah, uh, Chiron was just telling me that some little kid, about two or three, was found in New Rome. The weird part is, the kid doesn't exist. No name, no parents, nothing. And…" He'd ended on a higher note. Nico was hiding something.

"And I think that you would perhaps adopt this child rather than one in the city. She would fit in here just perfectly." Chiron clasped his hands together as if we'd come to a unanimous decision. We hadn't. Nico and I left Chiron to feed Seymour, my footsteps heavy in my frustration.

"What do you mean, it's perfect? I thought we had a plan."

"We do, the plan was that we were going to adopt a kid. Does it matter where from?" Nico insisted, trying to push the idea forward. Feeling exasperated, I wadded up the adoption papers and threw them at him. It hit his black hoodie dead centre and fell uselessly to the floor. I yawned; the sun was going down and I needed to sleep.
"Let's figure this out in the morning, okay? I don't feel like going to sleep being mad at you."

We made our way back to our apartment, and I changed the doctors coat and scrubs for a baggy, grey tee and flannel pants. Nico sighed and did the same. As we cuddled in bed, I slowly drifted off to sleep, still wondering about this girl in New Rome, and why Nico was so adamant that we adopted her.

I sat up and was quickly filled with dread. I was in the Underworld. Crossing my fingers, I prayed that I hadn't died. Again. My heart was beating like a wild animal trying to escape my chest, which was a sure sign that I was still alive. It was Hades' throne room, I somehow recognised. I could see Hades and Nico fighting, something that I'd never seen them do.

"Nico, let him go! You're using too much of your power…You're going to get yourself killed!" Hades was trying to pull Nico away from a body sprawled on the floor. My body. I rushed to Nico's side, my hands ghosting through his shoulder.

"Nico! Please, stop! You'll die, I can't let you die!" A lump caught in my throat; this was my resurrection. I knew what was going to happen, and I knew that Nico was still alive, so it would be okay. But it didn't feel like that. I didn't want Nico to die, especially not by saving me.

Hades' fingers passed through Neeks, just like my hands had. It was like Nico was a ghost. Oh, that couldn't be good. My heart was pounding and I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. Nico was shaking like an earthquake. My fingers that attempted to curl around his cheek passed straight through him. I tried to hold him, but my arms just faded through his body. I couldn't do anything.
"Please, Nico, stop. This is going to kill you. Just stop."
"Nico, please. Don't do this, you have to let me go," I pleaded. I yelled louder with each cry, hoping that he could hear me.

"Never."

"Nico, stop now! This is your last chance to pull back! Nico. Nico! Let him go!" Hades voice echoed through the marble room.

Nico gritted his teeth and started to fall backwards. I sat above his head, trying to soothe him, even though I knew he couldn't hear me. Hades hung his head, and stood up tall.
"I summon the Three Fates to return what was forcibly taken." A swirl of grey smoke that smelled of musty books and dust swept through Hades' throne room. The haze of dust settled and through it appeared three old crones, with stingy tufts of hair and teeth blotted black, orange and green. The only difference between them was that one was tall, another stumpy and the last was doubled over and had the worst hunchback I'd ever seen.
"Hades, this is the first you have called of us in a millenia. Why would you want to bring someone back?" The tall Fate had a hoarse voice as if she had smoked one too many chimneys.
"Atropos. My son has become infatuated with this boy, and they had planned to -"
"Will Solace. I remember his thread. It was golden-tinged, just like his father's." Lachesis hobbled over to Hades and stood fast, expecting some kind of remark.
"Yes. I want you to bring him back. He hadn't lived long enough, and I need at least one of my children to find happiness. Please." The Fates sighed in unison, and stood around my body. It started to emit a faint glow, which steadily grew brighter and brighter. I had to look away and blink the spots from my eyes. When I looked back, the Fates had vanished. I gazed back at my body, and smiled in relief as I realised that I knew what happened from here. Black crept at the edge of my eyes as I escaped the dream-vision.

Waking up, I could feel that the room had slightly heated. I changed into some sweatpants and shoes, grabbed Nico's hoodie from last night and left the apartment. It was nice in the morning. Barely anyone was awake so I could think without the hassle of people's lives. Outside of the Ares cabin, a boy sat, feet dangling in their tactical trenches. He was sharpening his sword, and sneered at me as I walked past. Did I do something wrong? Mood soured a bit, I ducked around the cabins, opting for the route along the trees. In the midst of the woods, some of the nymphs running around trees, chasing each other. Some of the naiads were trying to regrow some trees in the hollow of the battlefield. I kept walking, heading towards the canoe lake, my favourite spot. I could think about what Nico and I were going to do about this little girl in New Rome. I tucked my hands into the pockets, hiding them away from the cool breeze. To my surprise, my fingers clasped around a small piece of paper, and I pulled it out. Sitting down on a deserted canoe, I unfurled it. It was a photo of a little girl with curly black hair and sky blue eyes. She was giggling and holding a lollipop, seated by the fountain in the middle of New Rome. That was the little girl Nico and Chiron thought that we should adopt, and I could understand why.

She looked just like Bianca, Nico's sister.

I closed the photo back up and stuffed it in my pocket. The sun had already risen, and that meant that Nico would too. I'd made up my mind; we were going to bring her home today. I quietly opened and closed the front door behind me, and shuffled about our little house.